System and balancing kit for mobile toys



July 7, 1970 v. DOMASHOVETZ 3,518,789

SYSTEM AND BALANCING KIT FOR MOBILE TOYS Filed June 2'7, 1968 INVENTOR. Vo/odym yr flames/107622 United States Patent O 3,518,789 SYSTEM AND BALANCING KIT FOR MOBILE TOYS Volodymyr Domashovetz, Newark, N.J., assignor to Remco Industries, Inc., Harrison, NJ. Filed June 27, 1968, Ser. No. 740,703 Int. Cl. A63h 11/10 US. Cl. 46202 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention provides a system in which a four-wheel toy travels on one set of its wheels over a single raised track. This toy is balanced by means of a kit which provides counterweights extending from each side of the toy on opposite ends of a rod mounted on the toy. The weights are arranged to displace the effective center of gravity of the toy to a position directly below the center of the raised track, whereby the toy is balanced during its travel over the single raised track.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Generally, mobile toys are designed and adapted to move over floors, grounds, hills, and the like. There are also toys, such as trains that move over tracks and rails on two pairs of wheels. With these types of toys there is little, if any, need for balancing means since the toys are adequately balanced and supported to move On four wheels in contact at all times with the surface of a floor or ground, or tracks as the case may be.

Accordingly, if these toys were run on one set of wheels over a single raised track they would fall off the track since they were not properly balanced. In short these toys are not adapted to run on one set of wheels and there must be something added to the toys or they must be modified, in order to have them even travel over a raised track.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means to balance mobile toys so they can be properly run on one set of wheels over a single raised track.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the balancing of mobile toys for movement on one set of wheels over a single raised track. A balancing kit is provided which includes counterweights adjustably mounted on each end of a rod secured to the toy at an area coinciding with the toys center of gravity. By adjusting one weight, which is substantially heavier than the other, on the end of the rod corresponding with the set of wheels placed on the track, the effective center of gravity of the toy is displaced to a point directly below the center of the raised track. Whereby, the toy is balanced and maintained level during its movement on the single raised track.

Among the many advantages of the present invention, is that the parts of the balancing kit may be inserted easily by merely snapping in a bracket into the middle of the toy which. secures to the toy the rod with the weights mounted thereon. Accordingly, the parts of the kit may be disassembled very easily for the toy to be used in a normal manner on level grounds or floors, or tracks as the case may be.

The various features, aspects, and objects of the present invention will be more fully understood in the detailed description below of the preferred embodiment when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a system embodying the 3,518,789 Patented July 7, 1970 ice present invention; a toy jeep is shown balanced on one set of wheels on a raised track according to the resent invention; and

FIG. 2 is a front end elevational view of the balancing means provided by the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, there is shown a system embodying the present invention in which a toy jeep 10 moves on one set of wheels 12 over a single raised track 14. The jeep 10 is balanced on the single raised track 14 of a balancing kit provided by the present invention.

The balancing kit includes a rod 16 which is mounted by its mid-portion on the jeep 10 at an area coinciding with the center of gravity thereof. The rod 16 is secured to the jeep 10 by a bracket 18 which is arranged to snap into slots (not shown) in the surface of the jeep adjacent to the seat 20 thereof.

There are adjustable weights 22 and 24 slidably mounted on the respective ends of the rod 16. It is preferable that the weight 24 on the end of the rod 16 corresponding to the set of Wheels 12 on the raised track 14 be substantially heavier than the other weight 22. With this arrangement, as shown in FIG. 2, the toy is balanced on the one set of wheels 12 in its movement over the single raised track 14.

The bracket 18 is preferably mounted on the body of the jeep 10 in an area coinciding with the location of the actual center of gravity (egg) of the toy. As shown best in FIG. 1, the bracket 18 is positioned in the seat 20 of the jeep 10.

In the preferred embodiment of the balancing kit, weight 24 is a metal while the other weight 22 may be a plastic or some similarly light material. As shown in FIG. '2, weight 24 is placed on the end of the rod corresponding to the set of wheels 12, while weight 22 is placed on the end corresponding to the set of wheels 13. By having the weight 24 made of such a heavier material, i.e. a metal, and arranging it as shown in FIG. 2, the effective center of gravity (eg is shifted or displaced to a position directly below the center of the raised track 14.

It is, however, not necessary to have weights 22 and 24 made of different material. They may be made of the same material but then the rod 16 will have to be substantially longer so that weight 24 could be adjusted at a much lower level than weight 22. This would be necessary in order to displace the effective center of gravity (eg to a position below the center of the raised track 14 to balance the toy 10 on one set of wheels. The weights 22 and 24 after being adjusted on the respetcive ends of the rod 16 are maintained there by rubber bushings 30.

As shown best in FIG. 2, it is advantageous to have the respective ends 32 and 34 of the rod 16 are bent downward at angles, preferably of approximately 60. The rod 16 could be bent at different angles, with the length of the rod and the weight of the respective weights 22 and 24 varying accordingly.

It is noted that the toy 10 may be balanced on the raised track 14 by having only one rod extending from one side thereof, i.e. the side corresponding to the set of wheels placed on the raised track. With this arrangement, a single Weight would be adjusted on the end of the rod at a position below the level of the wheels to displace the effective center of gravity (eg to a position below the center of the raised track 14, i.e. below the set of wheels on the track. Thus, the toy is balanced on one set of its wheels.

The toy jeep is preferably self driven by any suitable drive means. The drive means may be a small batterypowered motor (not shown) enclosed in the chassis C of the toy. A switch may be provided for starting the motor to rotate the wheels of the top for movement over the raised track.

The track 14 may consist of a plurality of sections 35 and arranged to be any length desired. For example, the track may be to feet in length. The track can be set up in a straight line, curves, or a circle. The track may be raised to various levels on supports 36 of varying lengths, or the track may be allowed to sag in between the supports 36, as shown in FIG. 1.

The sections of the track are joined end to end and are preferably made of a flexible material. The sections, as shown in FIG. 1, have guide posts 38 spaced apart to form a'channel for the set of wheels 12 to move on. In addition, the sections 35 may include transverse ribs to provide additional friction and traction for movement of the wheels over the raised track 14. The ribs 40 of such size to fit into the corresponding threads 42 of the wheels 12.

In assemblying the track 14, the individual sections 35 are joined end to end by any suitable fastening means such as snaps or latches. Then support rods 36 of varying lengths are placed in sockets 46 on the bottom of the sections to support the track 14 at various heights, as shown in FIG. 1.

In assembling the parts of the balancing kit on a toy, such as the jeep 10, the rod 16 is positioned with its mid-portion in an area coinciding with the center of gravity of the toy, such as overits seat 20. Then, the bracket 18 is secured on the jeep by latches snapping into slots in the jeep, or any siutable means to secure the rod 16 in position. The rod 16 is turned in position so that its bent ends 32 and 34 are positioned downwardly at an angle. Then the weights 22 and 24 are slided onto the respective ends 32 and 34 of the rod 16, and maintained at a desired level by the rubber bushings 30. The weights 22 and 24 are adjusted to their respective positions when the jeep 10 is placed with one set of its wheels 12 on the track 14. As shown in FIG. 2, with weight 24 being made of substantially heavier material, such as a metal, the weights 22 and 24 are adjusted to the same level to balance the jeep on the single raised track 14.

An important feature of the present invention is that by extending counterweights from opposite sides of the toy and below the level of the raised track, the effective center of gravity of the toy is displaced to a position below the center of the raised track and thus the toy is balanced for travel on one set of its wheels over a single raised track.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the balancing kit described above is well suited to provide the advantages set forth, and since various embodiments may be made of the features of this invention and as the structure in here described may be varied as to any part all without departing from the scope of the invention it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense and that in certain instances, some of the features of the invention may be used without a corresponding use of other features, all without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A system in which a moblie toy is arranged to travel on one set of wheels over a raised track, said system compnsmg:

(a) a track including sections joined end to end and raised to various levels to give a hilly effect to the route of travel of the toy, said sections having edges defining a channel for one set of wheels of said toy to travel on;

(b) a rod secured to said toy, said rod having at least one end below the level of said raised track; and

(c) counterweights slidably mounted on each end of said rod with at least one of said weights being positioned below the level of said raised track to displace the effective center of gravity of said toy to a position directly below the center of said track, thereby balancing the toy for travel on said one set of wheels over said raised track.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said raised track includes transverse ribs and said set of wheels is threaded, said transverse ribs corresponding in size to the threads of said set of wheels to provide additional traction for said set of wheels to move over said raised track.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the weight mounted on the end of said rod corresponding to said set of wheels on said track is substantially heavier than said weight mounted on the opposite end of said rod.

4. A system for balancing a mobile toy moving on one set of wheels over a single raised track, said system comprising:

(a) a rod adapted to be mounted on said toy, said rod having at least one end below the level of said raised track;

(b) a bracket arranged to secure said rod to said toy;

and

(c) counterweights slidably mounted on each end of said rod with at least one of said weights being positioned below the level of said raised track to displace the effective center of gravity of said toy to a position directly below the center of said track, thereby balancing said toy for travel on one set of wheels over said track.

5. A system for balancing a mobile toy as set forth in claim 4, wherein the weight on the end of said rod corresponding to the set of wheels on said track is substantially heavier than the weight on the other end of said rod.

6. A system for balancing a moblie toy as set forth in claim 5, wherein said heavier weight is a metal and the lighter weight is a plastic.

7. A system for balancing a mobile toy as set forth in claim 4, wherein the ends of said rod are bent downward at angles of approximately 60.

8. A system wherein a four-wheel mobile toy is adapted to move on either set of its wheel over a single raised track, said system comprising:

(a) a chassis having four wheels mounted thereon;

(b) drive means for rotating at least one of said wheels;

(c)- a rod secured to said chassis With at least one of its ends extending below the level of said wheels; and

(d) a weight slidably mounted on the end of said rod, said weight being positioned on said rod below the level of said wheels to displace the effective center of gravity of said toy to a position below said set of wheels on said raised track, thereby balancing the toy for travel on one set of wheels over said raised track.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 950,536 3/1910 Killman 46-131 X 1,997,512 4/1935 Einfalt 46-202 2,489,206 11/ 1949 Tomnie 46-100 2,581,583 1/1952 Fields 46-202 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner E. KRAUSE, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 461 

